Thursday, 13 October 2011

I am sure that I am not the first to blog about this amazing weather we have been having here in the South of France. September kicked it all off as I mentioned in my last post, but it has just kept going and going. Daytimes are typically between 26C to 28C and once the sun has gone down temperatures have been dropping to around 14C to 16C. You can see from the chart below that even for the South of France that is about 6 or 7 degrees above the average for the year in October.

Annual Average Climate Chart for the South of France

Region

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Languedoc- Rousillon

12(54)

12(52)

13(55)

18(64)

20(68)

27(80)

Aquitaine

10(50)

9(49)

12(54)

20(67)

18(64)

24(75)

Limousin

6(43)

6(43)

10(49)

16(61)

15(59)

22(72)

Midi-Pyrenees

10(50)

9(48)

12(54)

18(65)

19(66)

26(80)

Provence

12(54)

12(53)

14(58)

19(65)

21(69)

27(80)

Cote d'Azur

12(54)

12(53)

14(58)

19(65)

21(70)

27(80)

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Languedoc- Rousillon

28(83)

28(83)

26(79)

21(70)

16(60)

14(56)

Aquitaine

27(81)

26(78)

24(76)

20(67)

15(49)

11(52)

Limousin

25(77)

24(75)

21(70)

16(61)

13(55)

9(47)

Midi-Pyrenees

28(82)

27(81)

25(78)

19(67)

16(60)

10(50)

Provence

28(83)

28(83)

25(77)

22(72)

17(62)

14(57)

Cote d'Azur

28(83)

28(83)

25(77)

22(72)

17(62)

14(57)

Average Air Temp °C(°F) by month

It's a bit of a shame for the fish in our little stream because it has all but dried up along most of its length anywhere near where we are. There is still a bit of a trickle about 1/2 mile up the hill towards Labecede, but certainly from Le Moulin down the valley it is more of a sandy path. I suspect the fishermen will be having lean pickings next year if they turn up with their rods as usual.

Still one man's poison is another man's meat, and we did have some lucky holiday makers during September who absolutely made the most of the weather. To be honest, we can't remember a bad September since we moved here or October for that matter, but perhaps not quite as good as this year.

Autumn is moving in steadily however and you can see from the changing colours of the leaves on the trees that the winter months are approaching as we go through the Autumn.

Nature has been fooled to an extent though, for example many of the spilled sunflower seeds from the harvest have started to sprout into new plants, and flowers are budding in the garden that would normally lie dormant at this time of year until the coming spring.

Not that this is going to get them anywhere because that cooler climate will come eventually and long before the plants can go their full cycle. We are not complaining however, its quite nice to have a mix of our favourite seasons, Spring and Autumn, both happening at the same time. Bit of a photographers dream really, it always surprises me that we aren't inundated with eager photographers that would like to take up the photography courses on offer in the Autumn. There is after all probably more colour and changing skies at this time of the year than any other.

Anyway, that's enough from me. I just thought I would let you know that it's not just the UK that has been having a glorious Indian Summer in the Autumn time.